Monday, 19 July 2010

British author Alan Shadrake arrested in Singapore over death penalty book.Plus water Problems

How can the Govt of Singapore be regarded as democratic if it squirms under scrutiny, Has the law concerning freedom of speech and particularly criticism of government been abolished in this Commonwealth Country?
British author Alan Shadrake arrested in Singapore over his death penalty book .
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.SINGAPORE police arrested a British author yesterday, a day after he launched a book alleging double standards in the city-state's use of the death penalty.

Alan Shadrake, who wrote the book Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice on the Dock, was detained on charges including criminal defamation and contempt of court, police said in a statement.
"Police confirm that they have arrested British national Alan Shadrake. He is being investigated for alleged offences of criminal defamation and other offences," it said.

"Alan Shadrake has also been served with an application by the Attorney-General for an order of committal for contempt of court," the statement added.
It said that the arrest was made "pursuant to a police report that was lodged" by regulator Media Development Authority.
Shadrake's arrest came a day after the launch of his book, which contained an interview with Darshan Singh, the long-time chief executioner at Singapore's Changi Prison, who has since retired

The book also features interviews with local human rights activists, lawyers and former police officers on various cases involving capital punishment in the city-state, which carries out the death penalty by hanging.
In Singapore, the death penalty is mandatory for murder, treason and drug trafficking, among other crimes.
Despite criticism from human rights activists, Singapore officials have maintained that the death penalty has been a key factor in keeping a low crime rate in the island-state, one of Asia's safest countries.
Shadrake, who wrote articles for London's Daily Telegraph and other newspapers, said after the book's Singapore launch on Saturday that he had expected trouble, but felt that the authorities were not going to take action.

"If they do anything, it'll just draw more attention to it all, and they have no defence," he said.
Defamation carries a sentence of two years' imprisonment or a fine or both.

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I recall when with the RN in Singapore when a partial self Govt ruled the Civil affairs in Singapore when their gaming laws effected even our nightly bingo sessions, this was in the early-mid fifties. I would get a lot of feedback from my friend Abdul Karim Bin Anang from the survey dept in Johore Bahru across the causeway from Singapore, when the bullying of Malaya started by Singapore and its PM Lee Kwan Yew.
At the outset of the demolition of the Federation of Malay States, Lee in Singapore and Tunku Abdul Rahman in The New Malaysia argued like fishwives over the multitude of problems forced upon them due to the divided countries equally multitude of differences, the prime factor. Race and Religion.
It seemed in my eyes the poorer cousin was destined to be Malaysia. And not being prompted by any foresight from myself thinking, of one large political lever, which I observed in my frequent travels between the RN Base in Sembawang and Lorong one Jalan Storey, Johore Baru, the residence of my family and myself.
It, meaning the two 54 diameter water pipe lines from Malaysia Across the causeway to Singapore were shut down when differences of opinion became strained and Malaysia sought a better solution to whatever the problem was.
For decades, Singapore has relied on importation from Malaysia to supply half of the water consumption in Singapore. As of 2009, imported water had been reduced to 40% of total consumption. However the two water agreements that supply Singapore this water are due to expire by 2011 and 2061 respectively and the two countries are engaged in a dispute regarding the price of water. Without a current resolution, the government of Singapore decided to increase self-sufficiency in its water supply.

Are you living on the Central coast NSW in Australia with water restrictions and complaining? My wife and three children managed on nine galls or 45 liters of water per day each when living in Hong Kong in the sixties.

Our local forecast is for rain tomorrow, the tears of joy for those in need..
Ask yourself always: how can this be done better?
Have a great week , Vest.

Oh BTW: would you exchange the present arrangement of under policed lax littering laws, allowing the general rubbish,ciggy ends, condoms, bottles and wrappers to line our city and suburban streets and the drug and alcohol related offences plus other miscellaneous criminal activities to run rampant , instead of none of the afore mentioned and a dodgy Singaporean - flexible civil rights agenda to live with.
I suppose if you are a squeaky clean and 'Yes' person also slightly deaf and blind you would be able to live with these impositions, however, an overseas trip to garbage land now and then would be a great way to break the shackles of restriction. but then again if you were born into what you have to put up with you would less likely be affected, just a thought. Vest.

4.WHY AM I SCARED OF FUNERALS?I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, WHEN IWAS A KID MY SISTER INTRODUCED ME TOTHE CONCEPT OF DEATH. HER BEST FRIENDSHIRLEY DIED AND SHE MADE ME GO TOTHE FUNERAL HOME WITH HER TO VIEW THE BODY.

THERE WAS SHIRLEY IN HER MOO MOO DEAD, SHEWAS A GOOD LOOKING WOMAN. I DON'T CARE IF NO ONE SHOWS UP AT MY FUNERALWHAT AM I GOING TO DO,RISE UP AND SAY WHEREIN THE HELL IS EVERYBODY AT?I'M NOT GOING TOMY OWN FUNERAL AND NO ONE CAN MAKE ME..NANANANANA!

5.WHY DO I WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH DRY MOUTH?WHAT,HAVE I REACHED THE AGE THAT I HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY LUBRICATED?

posted by GUESS WHO!Michele @ 3:30 PM

those were the days my friendMichelle and PUGS and Karen the star bender

Vest, we utilise the services of convicted persons sentenced to Community Service regardless of status, cleaning and skirmishing for rubbish in public places and particularly the roadsides. we also use specialised persons for recovering drug related garbage.'Unfortuneately it does not happen often enough.

Several local television channels have put the death toll between 50 and 100.

STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT

INDIAN RAILWAYS 108,706km of track 11,000 trains run every day; 7,000 are passenger trains 1.54 million employees 13 million passengers daily; 2 million tonnes of freight More numbers at: IndianRailways.gov.in

Compensation of 500,000 rupees ($10,500) was offered to the families of the dead and 100,000 rupees to the injured.

LIFE in INDIA is CHEAPRecurring accidents

With a 108,706km network, the railways play a key role in Indian life, transporting more than 13 million passengers and more than 2 million tonnes of freight daily.

But the system is plagued by crowding and outdated technology.

This was the second major accident in the state of West Bengal within two months. In May, a train sabotage blamed on Maoist rebels killed more than 70 people. The rebels denied the charge.

Officials said any terror link in Monday's incident was unlikely, though an investigation was on to find out how both trains came to be on the same track.

There are 300 accidents on the railways every year, and past crashes have left hundreds dead.

In 2002, 100 were killed and 150 hurt when a carriage plunged into a river in the northeastern state of Bihar, while in 1995 more than 300 died in a collision near Ferozabad, close to the Taj Mahal city of Agra.

About Me

Ardent family orientated bloke,love my family lots.
Love Australia my Beautiful adopted country, but remember passionately my home village, Chalgrove in Oxfordshire, England. My favourite friends would include several shipmates I am in close contact with who served with me while in the British Royal Navy ..going back a fair bit.
There is also the silence of my age, too full of wisdom for the tongue to utter it - in words intelligible to those who have not lived-the great range of my life.
Vest.GSM, LSGCM, WM, B/PM, ITM, UNM, K-N M, EOW M, Asia- PAC M. ROYAL NAVY 25yrs, Retired.